Why is youtube so slow?

[Jangalomph]

YouTube has gotten slower and slower over the past few years. I run Firefox, and I have fiber optic internet services "10 - 50 Mb/s". Every other webpage is super fast. YouTube takes 20 - 30 minutes to just load a 15 minute video. Its really ticking me off. I can't even watch at 20 second video. I have adblock plus on. I tried using google chrome but youtube is even slower on there. What did I do to make youtube hate me? How can I fix this crap?

[Post-Hoc]

I have noticed the same thing, I blame Google buying it, but it's also the HD function they have added. And your internet probably sucks.

[Dives]

They're implementing some new features so its likely a result of that.

Edit: And it appears to be back to its normal fast speed.

[Jangalomph]

I have noticed the same thing, I blame Google buying it, but it's also the HD function they have added. And your internet probably sucks.

My internet definately doesn't suck my friend. We just got new fiber optic upgrades in my town

[Zecrah]

I hate with a burning passion their new stupid HD thing. I don't want it to 'load as it plays'. I wish it would just stop, load my HD, and then resume. Or at least give me the option to disable it. It barely seems to work, it just stays in 320 until I reach the end and then it's like "Ohey, now you can have those extras pixels you wanted." /rant.

[Dives]

Uhhh, that is very strange behavior Zecrah. They've had HD since 2008 and its always worked properly for me. Update your flash?

[Zecrah]

Yeah, it's always been fine for me but in the last month it's just been annoyingly slow. Usually, if I hit the drop down menu and clicked '720p' the video would pause, load and buffer the 720p version, and resume playing. Now, when I hit 720p, I get a little infinite loading wheel appear next to it and it continues playing in 320. And some undisclosed point it decides it's ready to load 720p, and suddenly it becomes HD. It's annoying as hell, since it rarely works and I end up spamming refresh and such.

I assumed it was something YouTube changed.

[Jangalomph]

Yeah, mine does the infinite loading crap now too so annoying.

[pk_hunter]

I don't have a problem with it. I watch long youtube videos regularly as a TV student and I'm able to play 720p with only a few seconds pause at the start to let the buffer get a bit ahead of the playback.

Using Opera, btw - That browser people use to see what Firefox will be like next year.

[Zecrah]

lol.

I use Chrome, so you'd think it would work properly considering they're owned by the same company.